Here goes nothing: I'm often fairly quiet and reserved, but can become gregarious when in the mood. I've been told I'm funny, but that it's hard sometimes to tell if I'm joking or not. I have a dry sense of humor, and I tend to make absurd observations in a very matter-of-fact way. I get nervous in crowds and don't like public speaking. I do best one-on-one (unless I've been drinking, in which case I become very social). I have trouble driving at night when it's raining. I like to take long walks, draw, and mess about with computers. I'm Mr. Fix-It around the office, and more and more at my folks' as they get older. I lift weights, have for years. I'm not ripped by any means, but I manage to surprise most people. Used to play soccer and lacrosse. I'm a big movie/book/television person, usually up on the latest "thing," but with music I like what I like, and it's pretty scattershot.
I'm pretty easy-going and laid back, most of the time. Very "even-keeled and grounded," as my friends and relatives describe me. I worked with children with mental retardation, psychosis and autism for years, and miss it sometimes. It was a lot of responsibility and it could be extremely stressful, particularly when things got rough in crisis situations. It could be really sad at times, too. But with kids, they usually don't know when they're doing bad stuff, or if they do, they at least aren't particularly surprised at the consequences; adults seem to think they can do whatever they want, that there are no consequences for them. And, I like helping people. I don't know why, it's not something I think about much. But when a parent thanks you for really making a difference, or tells you their son or daughter can't stop talking about how awesome you are, well, that's a pretty special feeling.
I'm going back to school to become a librarian now, and later, possibly a software engineer or information tech person. I'm close to my siblings and parents, out of touch with a lot of my friends. Many have moved away or married, and others, we just don't have a lot in common anymore. My last couple jobs had horrible hours, so it's been kind of difficult to get out there and meet new people.
I like to be unpredictable and contrary at times, usually for the sake of humor or because I'm a bit embarrassed of my softer side. For instance, I'm uncomfortable giving out hugs, and am not good at taking compliments - I don't know what to do with them. I've been the life of the party before, but don't really feel the need for attention - I just like to have a good time, and when one's going on, I exult in it. I'd prefer to be an invaluable adviser or specialist than a leader, but I've had to step up at times. I usually do okay. In relationships, my end goal is an equal partner, in every sense of the word. I worked with some strong, fierce women, and they saved my bacon plenty of times when things got hairy, which has cultivated my appreciation of competence. I come from a large family, too; I'm one of five, but my brothers are the the youngest, so I grew up with sisters, one older and one younger. The elder's tougher than I am, and the younger is smarter, so I've learned the hard way not to assume much of anything about people. One of the reasons I was initially reluctant to try out Match was because of the artificiality of it. It's hard to know how you're coming across. I hope I'm doing this right. For some reason, people always ask me if I'm feeling sad or if I'm angry - I have no idea why, I'm usually daydreaming about silly stuff when I'm not preoccupied with the task at hand. I often sing when I'm happy (or in the shower/car), and I love to dance (when I don't think anybody's watching). That's all I've got for now. Feel free to e-mail me!
